POLICE BOX: Concerns for safety

I am appalled at the decision of North Tyneside’s planning department to agree plans for the conversion and large extension to the former police box between Percy Park and Percy Park Road.

It has been well documented that parking is a huge problem in this area and the building is on a very dangerous junction.

I have seen the objections that residents made, as well as a traffic/parking survey produced by a resident, which gave details of actual numbers of cars, as opposed to parking spaces, around Seafield Green. On any fine day cars are driving around in circles looking for places to park.

If this conversion and seating area goes ahead it can only increase the danger, with drivers being distracted by the activities surrounding the pizza/cafe/ice cream parlour.

As the sale of ice cream will attract children to this area, where they could be crossing between parked cars, it beggars belief that the planning department decided to disregard these concerns.

Furthermore, it declined requests for a site visit, which seemed an obvious opportunity to address these issues. Why did it not want to do this? Why was the planning department so determined to push this plan through?